Condenser for ignition circuits



March 31, 1931. J, GALE 1,798,789

CONDENSER FOR IGNITION CIRCUITS Filed April 4, 1950 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

patented Man. 3% l3l dtfllfilh'l' GALE, @F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CONDENEEER FOR IGNITION CIRUUITS Application tiled April t, 1930. Serial No. 441,581.

This invention relates to .a condenser for the ignition circuits of internal combustion engines.

llrnon the objects of the invention are to protect crease the intensity of the spark and preserve the distributor point, to overcome trouble causedhy pumping cylinders, to give a better spark, and to enable the use of heavier l oil and weaker mixture of gas thus saving tuel.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate starting or" automobile engines and give added power for heavy pulls.

in an automobile engine provided with this device the gaseous mixture from the carbuc retor is ignited by the proper kind oi a spark thus producing maaimum expansion and full power; in conjiietion with the aforementioned objects and advantages, it is an important objest ot the invention to simplify the construction oi the device, to render it very compact, neat in appearance, and not apt to get out oi order and practically indestructable by use on an automobile.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may hereinafter appear.

' liteterring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is at present deemed to be apreierred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete device showing the upper and lower electrical connections and including a fragment of the distributor head.

Fig"? is a vertical mid-section on line 2-2 oi Fig. 1, the upper and lower electrical connections being omitted.

ll i 3 is a transverse section on line 33 at hig.

'lleierrin-g in detail to the drawings, the electrical connections are enclosed within a fiber sleeve 7 having an upper cover plate 8 and a lower cover plate 9, each oi said cover plates being centrally apertured. The construction oi the upper half of the device is in many particulars similar to that of the lower halt thereoi and therefore the description of one of said halves will "for the most part sufllll lice tor both. Within the upper end of sleeve e ignition more effectively, to in 7 as seen in Fig. 2, is fitted a cylindrical body 10 made of wood, fiber or other insulating materiah Said body 10 is provided with an axial bore 10a through which extends the un threaded portion of a screw threaded bolt 11 which forms one of the terminals of the de- V106,

The lower end of said bolt 11 is provided with a head 12 which, when the parts are assembled, is in spaced relation to the lower end of the plug or body 10, and the metallic washor 14 and insulating disc 13 are in spaced relation to each other between said head 12 and adjacent endof the body 10. Between the discs 18 and the body 10 is interposed a metal ring 15, and between the discs 13 and 14 is interposed a metal ring 15a, these metal rings 15 and. 15a having relatively large central openings through them to keep them from contacting with the bolt 11. The metal disc or washer 14 is of less external diameter than the internal diameter of the sleeve 7. When the external washer 17 is put in place and the nut 18 screwed upon the bolt and down against said washer 17, the parts are firmly clamped in the proper relation to each other, thus providing an. eificient insulation for the bolt 11 within the sleeve 7. v

In so far as the construction of the lower half of the device is identical with that of the upper half thereof it is lettered in the same way, but certain details which are different will next be described. The lower bolt 11, throughout its inner end portion, ex-. tends through a series of fiber discs 20, pref- S5 crably three in number, which are spaced apart from each other and from the adjacent end of the body 10 by means of the metal rings 21, the external diameters of said discs 20 and rings 21 being such as to adapt them to fit closely within the sleeve 7, but the internal diameters of the rings 21 being greater than that of bolt 11 in order to provide considerable clearance around said bolt thus producing the proper electric induction around said bolt. The metal washer 14 which underlies the head of the lower bolt 11 cooperates with its lower washer 17 and nut 18 to clamp the parts adjacent to this bolt in um perage and increasing the voltage.

place in a manner similar to that already described with relation to the upper bolt 11.

Of the four metallic rings lettered 21 in Fig. 2, the lower three are insulated from the ad aQentcQntact element 11 and from each other but are located suiliciently near to each other and to said contact elementto cause a charge of electricity to accumulate adjacent each opposed conducting surface provided by these elements. That is to say, an induced charge of electricity accumulates at each side of the space intervening between the bolt and said discs. .This results in lowering the am- Tests with the device show that the voltage is doubled. If the coil has been delivering fifteen thousand voltsthe addition of this condenser increases the voltage of the coil to thirty thousand volts. i

As shown in Fig. 2, two metallic rings 15 are provided adjacent the lower end of the upper bolt 11, the uppermost of said rings 15 being the only one maintained out of electrical connection with said bolt. Therefore the condensing properties provided by the last mentioned ringwith relation to the upper bolt 11 are much less than those provided at the other side of the spark-gap. One object of providing a condensing element above the spark-gap as well as below it, is in order that in case the condenser should be reversed in its position with relation to the distributor head or coil, either accidentally or by design it would still be operative.

In Fig. 1 the device is shown provlded with the usual thumb nut 30 and terminal clip 31 while at the lower end of the device is shown a distributor head having a terminal expanding clip 36 whereby an electrical SZOIHIGCtlOIl is made with the lower end portion of the adjacent terminal bolt 11. In order to provide means for excess heat to radiate from the interior of the device, a plurality of heat vent holes 40 are provided through the insulating sleeve 7. Said holes may be covered by a metallic plate 41 which will not materially interfere with the radiatlon of the heat as the metal will radiate the head readily but the fiber sleeve 7 is a very poor conductor of heat. This plate all may be attached to the device by any suitable means as by small screws or tacks 4:2, and Iorms a convenient plate upon which to inscribe the address of the manufacturer and any additional matter desired. Experiments with the device have shown that the use of these holes causes the condenser to operate in a more eficient manner.

It will be seen that by the arrangement of bolts, nuts and discs employed within the sleeve 7 in conjunction with the fiber bodies 10, a very dependable mounting of the two bolts 11 with relation to each other is provided so that the heads 12 which form the sparking points may be positively secured at the proper distance from each other to form the most efiicient spark-gap. The distance should be approximately "twenty-five one thousandths of an inch.

It is to be understood that the cylindrical bodies 10 which fit within the end portions of the sleeve 7 are made sufiiciently large so that when they are forced into the operative position they will safely be held in place by friction.

The segmental plate 41, in addition to the functions which it has already been stated that said plate performs, when attached in place by the screw 42 cooperates with said screw 42 which extends into the cylindrical body 10, to keep said bodies 10 from working out of place if the continuous vibration to which the device is apt to be subjected, should ever loosen said bodies 10.

The bolts 11 represent a preferred form of rod to convey the electric current to the spark points, but it is to be understood that these elements may be changed, or other changes in the construction may be made, within the scope-of the appended claims, if they suggest themselves to the skilled workman, without de arting from the spirit of the invention.

laims:

'1. In a condenser of the class described a fiber sleeve, a pair of opposed bolts extending axially of said sleeve and having their heads adjacent to each other a proper distance to form a spark-gap located near the mid lengthof said sleeve, insulating elements between the heads of each of said bolts and the end portions-of said sleeve, end discs 0pposed to both ends of said sleeve and nuts screwing on to said bolts in opposed relation to said end discs to clamp the various parts of the device together in the operative position, there being heat vents through the wall of said sleeve.

2. In a condenser of the class described, a fiber sleeve, a pair of opposed bolts extending axially of said sleeve and having their headsadjacent to each other a proper distance apart to form a spark-gap located near the mid length of said sleeve, insulating discs between the head of one of said bolts and the end or- 7 tion of said sleeve, end discs opposed to 0th ends of said sleeve and nuts screwing on to said bolts in opposed relation to said end discs to clam the various parts of the device together in the operative position, there being heat vents through the wall of said sleeve, and a metallic plate covering said heat vents.

3. In a condenser of the class described, a sleeve of insulating material, a body of insulating material fitted within each end portion of said sleeve, a bolt extending axially through each of said bodies, there being a spark-gap between said bolts, a plurality of insulating discs surrounding the inner end portion or one of the bolts, a plurality of condensing rings insulated from said bolts and from each other by said discs and the adjacent parts of the device, and a less number of insulated condensing rings surrounding the 5 other of said bolts.

4. In a condenser of the class described, a sleeve, a cylindrical body fitted Within each end portion of said sleeve, rods extending axially through said bodies and provided 10 with spark oints, there being a space within said sleeve etween the opposed ends of said cylindrical bodies, condenser elements Within said space and a segmental plate overlying the exterior of a portion of said sleeve, there 15 being fastening devices which extend through said plate and sleeve into each of said cylindrical bodies and thereby assist in holding said bodies in properly spaced relation to each other.

20 5. In a condenser of the class described, a

sleeve of insulating material, a body of insulating material fitted Within each end portion of said sleeve, a bolt extending axially through each of said bodies, there being a spark-gap between said bolts, a plurality of insulating discs shrrounding the inner end portion of one of the bolts, a plurality of condensing rings insulated from said .bolts and from each other by said discs and the :0 adjacent parts of the device, and condensing material surrounding the other of said bolts.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

J OHN GALE. 

